Hulu VPN blocked? 6 Best VPNs that work with Hulu

Only a few VPNs can bypass the Hulu VPN ban. Most will not work and result in users receiving the anonymous proxy tool error message. We've rounded up the best VPNs for Hulu so you can spoof your location and access it from from anywhere.

After Netflix, Hulu is one of the most popular streaming video services available. Three major US television networks–Fox, ABC, and NBC–joined forces to create Hulu. It includes a wealth of content from other networks including Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, FX, SyFy, PBS, Style, and Cartoon Network. Most TV episodes appear on Hulu the day after they air, much faster than Netflix.

We’ll cover each VPN working with Hulu in detail later in this article. If you can’t wait, here is a summary of the 6 best VPNs for Hulu:

Don’t be fooled into thinking that Hulu looks the other way on proxy users just because it’s not as popular as Netflix. All of the content is strictly limited to residents of the US and Japan. If you try to access video on Hulu from outside those two countries, the site will prevent you from watching.

Hulu’s VPN ban is even more advanced than Netflix’s firewall. A VPN, or virtual private network, encrypts all the internet traffic heading to and from your computer and routes it through a server in a location of your choosing. This can make it appear to Hulu as though you are located in the United States, which gives you access to all the shows.

But Hulu, along with many other online streaming services, now blocks connections from known VPN servers. IP addresses on these servers are shared by dozens and even hundreds of users at once. This adds a layer of anonymity but makes it pretty obvious to Hulu what’s going on. Trying to watch Hulu with a normal VPN results in this message:

“Based on your IP address, we noticed you are trying to access Hulu through an anonymous proxy tool. Hulu is not currently available outside the US. If you’re in the US, you’ll need to disable your anonymizer to access videos on Hulu.”

For this reason, not just any VPN service will do. Most VPN providers cannot bypass Hulu’s strict firewall rules. The best VPNs for Hulu typically have a few servers each that can bypass the proxy ban. Just contact customer support to ask which servers can access Hulu.

Below we’ve curated the top six best VPN for Hulu based on the following criteria:

Not blocked by Hulu

Fast enough to stream HD video

Plenty of locations in the United States

Fast customer support

Best VPNs for Hulu

ExpressVPN, which offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, always has a few servers that work with Hulu. To find out which, just go to their website and ask a customer support representative on the live chat. Live support is available 24/7, every day of the year. ExpressVPN connections are extremely stable and bandwidth is more than enough to stream Hulu shows in top quality. Several server locations are available across the United States. Note that we did have to disable IPv6 in order for it to work. Find instructions on how to do that below.

All ExpressVPN subscriptions come with MediaStreamer, a smart DNS proxy service that’s used by default whenever you connect to a VPN server, but can also be used separately to unblock Hulu and other streaming services.

ExpressVPN works to unblock just about every other streaming service we have tested including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, HBO Now, SlingTV, Amazon Prime and plenty more.

BEST VPN FOR HULU:ExpressVPN is our #1 choice. A blazing fast and reliable choice which unblocks all major streaming services including Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Great security and privacy features and keeps no logs. Try it risk-free with the 30-day money back guarantee.

NordVPN comes with its trademark SmartPlay DNS baked into the VPN that allows it to unblock a huge range of content providers, including Hulu. You can find out which servers to connect to by consulting the official NordVPN knowledge base or by asking the live chat support. NordVPN also unblocks Netflix in several countries including the US, along with other streaming services like BBC iPlayer and HBO.

Security is airtight thanks to strong encryption and a true zero logs policy. The company also has specialized servers for certain use cases, including anti-DDoS, ultra-fast streaming, double VPN, and Tor over VPN. A single subscription allows you to connect up to six devices at the same time.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.

BEST BUDGET VPN:NordVPN offers great value. A good budget all-rounder that works well with Hulu. Strong security features and allows up to 6 devices to be used simultaneously from one account. Includes a 30-day money back guarantee.

CyberGhost has been ramping up its unblocking efforts lately. It is now able to unblock a wide range of streaming channels, including Hulu. The desktop app even allows you to choose a server based on what streaming services it can unblock rather than based on location alone. Hulu isn’t actually listed among those services, but we were able to unblock it using the NetflixLive chat support that is available during business hours. CyberGhost has both free and paid versions, and you’ll need the paid version to access the streaming servers. You’ll also get top-notch encryption, a no-logs policy, and extremely fast download speeds.

PrivateVPN is an up-and-coming provider with a lot to offer to those who don’t mind a smaller number of servers. When it comes to unblocking streaming sites, it stands right alongside the more established players. We were able to unblock Hulu on a couple servers after sending a quick query to the support team. Even though PrivateVPN doesn’t operate as many servers as others on this list, the servers it does have are extremely quick and won’t leave you staring at a buffering icon. We’ve also been able to unblock Netflix in every country we’ve tested it in so far, including the US.

PrivateVPN doesn’t compromise on privacy or security. The company stores no logs of user activity nor IP address on its servers. It uses the same strong encryption that you’ll get with the veteran providers.

Ivacy now unblocks Hulu as of a recent update, both on mobile and in a desktop browser. It also works with Amazon Prime Video and Netflix US, UK, and Australia. Just ask the live chat support on the website which servers to choose, and you’ll be streaming within minutes. Speeds were fast and consistent in our tests, so you can stream in high quality without buffering.

Ivacy is inexpensive and novice-friendly. It works in China and boasts strong security as well as a no-logs policy. The Singapore-based provider operates a smaller network than most other providers on this list, but that hasn’t affected performance so far.

You may connect up to five devices at one time on the standard plan. Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV.

VyprVPN took a brief hiatus from being able to unblock Hulu and other streaming channels, but we’re happy to say it’s now back in action. We didn’t have any issues finding a server that works with Hulu, but customers can also ask VyprVPN’s live chat support which servers to use. VyprVPN can also unblock US Netflix, HBO Now, HBO Go, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.

The company owns and operates its own network of servers, ensuring users have the bandwidth they need to stream in HD without buffering. The company uses some of the strongest encryption out there, although it does log users’ real IP addresses. For this reason, torrenters and other users who want to maximize privacy might want to look elsewhere.

How to watch Hulu from abroad with a VPN

Once you know which server to connect to, unblocking Hulu with a VPN is easy:

Sign up for and download one of the VPNs recommended above

Install the VPN app from your provider’s website or official app store

Run the VPN app and choose a server or server location that can unblock Hulu. If you’re unsure, ask your VPN’s customer service or consult its website

Open Hulu in a web browser or the Hulu app and start streaming!

If you still encounter an error message, you might need to tweak some settings on your device. IPv6 leaks are a common issue. See instructions on how to disable IPv6 on Mac and Windows below. You might also try clearing your browser cookies and cache. For other issues, contact your VPN’s customer support.

Can I use a free VPN to watch Hulu?

While you might get lucky and stumble onto a free VPN service with a VPN server that unblocks Hulu, the only reliable way to unblock it is with a paid VPN from the list above. Free VPN providers don’t have the resources to change their VPN server IP addresses and domains when they get blacklisted by a service like Hulu. So even if you find a magical free VPN, it probably won’t last long.

Furthermore, free VPN providers tend to use slow, congested servers. Expect a lot of buffering and possible disruptions in service. Many free VPN service providers cap the maximum bandwidth or the total amount of data alotted per day or month, meaning you could get cut off in the middle of a show.

Finally, no VPN is truly free. Many free VPNs monitor users’ web traffic and mine the data, inject advertisements, place tracking cookies into your browser, and sell the information they dig up to advertising companies. Some have even been caught redirecting users to the wrong sites in order to make a quick buck. As the adage goes, if you don’t buy the product, you are the product.

VPNs to avoid with Hulu

The following VPNs do not work with Hulu as of time of writing:

Zenmate

PureVPN

Hotspot Shield

Hola

IPVanish

Tunnelbear

CactusVPN

Private Internet Access (PIA)

IronSocket

Unotelly

CactusVPN

Buffered

Does Hulu allow VPNs?

Hulu’s terms of service do not specifically mention VPNs or proxies, but it does state the following that could be construed to cover VPN services:

You may not either directly or through the use of any device, software, internet site, web-based service, or other means remove, alter, bypass, avoid, interfere with, or circumvent any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices marked on the Content or any digital rights management mechanism, device, or other content protection or access control measure associated with the Content including geo-filtering mechanisms.

Hulu goes on to say that if you break this rule, the company will notify you and block access to the service. It does not mention account termination or suspension as far as we can interpret it.

To date, we’ve heard of no such case where a Hulu user was penalized for using a VPN other than the aforementioned error message in the video player. VPNs are 100 percent legal in almost all countries.

How to disable IPv6

Even when using the VPN providers on this list, there’s a chance you’ll still encounter an error message on Hulu instructing you to turn off your “anonymous proxy.” This is because the vast majority of VPN services still don’t protect against IPv6 leaks. While a VPN connection can route all your traffic requests through its own DNS servers and mask your IPv4 address, IPv6 addresses still get sent without being hidden. IPv6 serves the same purpose as IPv4, but contains a far wider range of possible IP addresses for internet-connected devices.

The solution is an imperfect but effective VPN block workaround for Hulu: disable IPv6. We say it’s imperfect because it would be better if everyone switched over to IPv6 because the IPv4 protocol is running out of unique IP addresses. Limiting yourself to IPv4 is bad for the long term health of the internet, but it won’t affect much else.

How to disable IPv6 on a Windows PC (Windows 10):

Disconnect and close the VPN app

Tap Windows Key+R to open the Run prompt

Type ncpa.cpl and hit Enter to open your Network Connections

Find the connection you are using, right click it, and select Properties

On the Networking or General tab, uncheck the box that says “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)”

Click OK to save changes and close the Window

Tap Windows Key+R and select Command Prompt (Admin), then hit Yes when asked if it’s okay for the program to make changes to your computer

Paying for Hulu from outside the US

Hulu doesn’t just require that your IP address be in the United States. Payment must also come from the US. If you live outside of the country without a domestic credit card or PayPal account, this can be tricky.

There are a couple of solutions that reportedly work, though in the interest of being transparent we didn’t test any of these out.

A prepaid card from this website costs about $20 plus however much credit you want to put on your Hulu account. After initially setting up the account, you can just buy Hulu gift cards on Amazon or elsewhere online for subsequent payments. Similar prepaid card options are available on eBay as well.

EntroPay allows you to make payments online by setting up a prepaid virtual visa card. Users report that this cannot be used to make a payment directly to Hulu, but it can be used to set up a US-based PayPal account. The PayPal account can then be used to make payments on Hulu.

StatesPay is another virtual credit card provider that costs $3.95 per month. In theory you should be able to just pay for the first month to set up the account and then use Hulu gift cards to make subsequent payments. The site is not accepting new sign ups as of the time of writing, however, so you might have to wait a while before the service is available again.

I used Avira Phantom Pro, and I’d say it is hit or miss. My connection isn’t the most stable, so if I’m watching Hulu and the internet cuts out, the VPN gets picked up. When trying to reload the video, I get a proxy warning from hulu. Originally, I could just clear the browsing data and restart the VPN and things were working. After this happening many times, none of the 3 US options offered by Avira for the US work with hulu. Essentially, it is useless for me now.

That said, if you have really stable internet and don’t think it will cut out while streaming, you may not end up with my problem.

Just spoke with ExpressVPN on chat and their VPN doesn’t work with Hulu unless you are outside of the US. So for those of us who want to have all internet traffic go through a VPN, that isn’t an option.